Diseases can be communicable or non communicable. Communicable diseases are those that are transmitted from one person to the other. These include diseases caused by bacteria, virus, protozoans and helminthes. Non communicable diseases are those that are not transmitted from one person to the other. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and genetic disorders.

CHICKEN POX

Preventive measures- 1.Patients to be isolated till all scabs fall off. 2.Person attending the patient should clean and wash hands with soap 3.Items used by patient should be cleaned and boiled before reuse 4.Patient should be given antiseptic bath.

2. PNEUMONIA

· Pneumonia is caused by the inhalation of infected microorganisms (tiny, single-celled living organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or protozoa) spread through contact with an infected person.

· The microorganisms enter the body through the mouth, nose and eyes.

BACTERIAL PNEUMONIAPneumonia-causing bacteria is present in many throats, but when the body's defenses are weakened (for example, by illness, old age, malnutrition or impaired immunity) the bacteria can multiply, working its way into the lungs, inflaming the air sacs and filling the lungs with liquid and pus.

Symptoms With bacterial pneumonia, the person may experience:

shaking

chills

chattering teeth

severe chest pain

cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucus

very high fever

sweating

rapid breathing

rapid pulse rate

VIRAL PNEUMONIA Half of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by viruses, such as influenza (flu), adenovirus, coxsackievirus, chickenpox, measles, cytomegalovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. These viruses invade the lungs and multiply. Symptoms With viral pneumonia, the person may experience:

fever

dry cough

headache

muscle pain and weakness

Treatment Bacterial pneumonia (caused by the streptococcus pneumonia bacteria) is often treated with penicillin, ampicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) and erythromycin.

Viral pneumonia does not respond to antibiotic treatment. This type of pneumonia usually resolves over time. If the lungs become infected with a secondary bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic to eliminate the bacterial infection.

Prevention

Practice good hygiene. Get a pneumonococcal vaccine.

Get a pneumonococcal vaccine.

Practice good preventive measures by eating a proper diet, getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are highly infectious, transferred through sexual contact. They are also called general diseases (VD) or reproductive tract infections(RTI).

1.GONORRHOEA

Causative agent: Nisseria gonorrhoeaSymptoms: 1.Infects the mucus membrane of urinogenital tract.2. genital discharge and painful urination.Treatment and Prevention:Effective antibiotics are used for treatment.Prevention includes- safer sex practices and refraining from sex till the antibiotics are completed.

2. SYPHILIS

Causative agent: Trepanoma pallidiumSymptoms:1. causes sores and lesions in the genital tract.2. Burning sensation during urination3. Later can cause sores in the mouth.Treatment and Prevention:Effective antibiotics are used for treatment.Prevention includes- safer sex practices and refraining from sex till the antibiotics are completed.

NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes is a condition of the body where the body is unable to use the sugars from the diet due to malfunctioning of islets of Langerhans of pancreas.As a result of this sugar accumulates in the blood and tissues causing various defects in the body. Two types – Insulin dependent- deficiency of secreted by islets of Langerhans cells of pancreas.Non- insulin dependent diabetes- failure of target cells to take up insulin from blood Symptoms

Glycosuria (glucose in urine)

Hyperglycemia (high glucose level in blood)

Frequent urination

General weakness, tiredness or fatigue

Increased thirst/hunger

Numbness of toes and fingers

Loss of weight

Blurred vision

Reduced hearing capacity

Wounds take longer time to heal.

Prevention

Periodic check ups

Avoid taking starchy and sugary food.

Treatment: Sulphonylureas, glipzide, etc.

DIABETES MELLITUS

Caused due to disturbances in the secretion of insulin from pancreasThere are two types of diabetes mellitus.This concerned with blood sugar balance.Symptoms include excessive urination with sugar in the urine.

DIABETES INSIPIDUS

Caused due to disturbances in secretion of vassopressin by posterior pituitary. Diabetes insipidus do not have any types.This is concerned with blood water balance. Symptoms include excessive urination, and no sugar in the urine

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

ANGINA PECTORIS

When the coronory arteries get blocked, the heart muscles do not get oxygen. This results in sharp pain in the heart and chest. This condition is called angina pectoris.

The pain is sharp and usually in the center of the chest and is accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, dizziness and palpitation.

It is not a disease but a symptom of coronary disease.

ISCHEMIA/ MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA

Cause- heart muscles are damaged or do not work as efficiently due to a reduced blood supply to the heart.

caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.

Symptom

chest pain, which can indicate a heart attack (also known as cardiac arrest).

This is felt as a tightening or weighing down of the chest and upper body parts including the neck, jaws, and shoulders.

Prevention

Control Your Diet

Exercise

Avoid Tobacco and Alcohol

HEART ATTACK

A heart attack happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle is suddenly blocked. If blood flow isn't restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die.May be caused due to different conditions - rheumatic heart disease, atheroma, atherosclerosis, hypertension coronary sclerosis, coronary thrombosis or Ischemia.SymptomsSevere pain in the chest, accompanied by breathlessness, nausea and vomiting.Prevention-

No smoking- as smoking constricts the blood vessels

Avoid being overweight

Avoid starchy, sugary food after the age of 35

Avoid eating food rich in animal fat

Avoid overwork and stress

Regular exercise is necessary

Coronary sclerosis

1. Narrowing of coronary artery or its branches due to accumulation of fatty substances.2. Obstructs blood circulation to the heart causing heart attack.

Coronary thrombosis

1. Clot is formed in some part of the coronary artery that cuts off the supply of blood to a part of the heart muscles.2. This is called myocardial infraction.

Arteriosclerosis

1. Hardening of the arteries.2. Due to old age arteries harden, because of loss in elasticity or deposition of cholesterol.3. Causes increased blood pressure leading to rupture of blood vessels of the brain (cerebral haemorrhage) or body (visceral haemorrhage).

Atherosclerosis

1. Narrowing of arteries2. Due to deposition of cholesterol on the lining. Causes clot formation or thrombosis.3. If in coronary artery – heart attack4. If in brain -- stroke

CANCER

Uncontrolled growth of a tissue due to unlimited and uncontrolled mitotic divisions.NEOPLASM- new growth of unwanted cells. TUMOR- undifferentiated lumpy collection of cells. MALIGNANCY- chaotic cells growth that leads into nearby tissues.MALIGNANT- when tumors becomes cancerous. Spread to distant parts is called metastasis. BENIGN- when tumors are non-cancerous

THALASSAEMIA

Rh INCOMPATIBILITY

Develops due to incompatibility of gene
products in the blood. Two well known incompatibilities are ABO blood group and
Rh factor. ABO incompatibility

With an ABO incompatibility, a mother
makes antibodies against her baby's blood type. It doesn't happen if the mother
and baby have the same blood type or if the baby is type O, since in that case,
there is usually nothing to make antibodies against.These antibodies, if the mother is type
O, can cross the placenta and can break down the baby's red blood cells after
she is born, leading to jaundice and anemia. This condition is called Hemolytic
Disease of the Newborn or erythroblastosis fetalis, and it can also be caused
by having an Rh incompatibility between a baby and mother.If a mother is type A or B and the baby
has a different blood type other than type O, she can still make antibodies
against the baby's red blood cells. These antibodies are too large to cross the
placenta though, and so don't usually lead to any problems.

Rh
factor incompatibility

Clinically,
the Rh factor, like ABO factors, can lead to serious medical complications. The
greatest problem with the Rh group is not so much incompatibilities following transfusions (though they can
occur) as those between a mother and her developing fetus. Mother-fetus incompatibility occurs
when the mother is Rh- and her fetus is Rh+ . Maternal antibodies can
cross the placenta and destroy fetal red blood cells.

AMNIOCENTESIS

Amniocentesis is a procedure used to obtain a small sample of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy. Amniotic fluid is a clear, pale yellow fluid made by the fetus. The fluid protects the fetus from injury and helps to regulate the temperature of the fetus. An amniocentesis may be used for genetic and chromosome testing in the second trimester of pregnancy in the presence of one or more of these conditions:

Family history or previous child with a genetic disease or chromosomal or metabolic disorder

GENETIC COUNSELING

(the term was introduced by Sheldon Reed.)The area of health care that offers advice
on genetic problems is called genetic counseling. It uses different techniques
for determination of the actual disease.Role of
genetic counselors.Educates
common man of the dangers of hereditary diseases and various genetic
malformations.Help
in educating general public about the use of various information, that is
revealed by scientific exploration.Genetic
counselor can predict the characteristics of future generations and can help in
planning parenthood.The
geneticist can tell the probability of producing infected offspring by studying
pedigree charts of couples.Suspected
errors of metabolismcan be identified.

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